


No Less of a Genius

by TheCityLightShow



Series: Imagine Tony and Bucky Prompts [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Bucky admires Tony, Fluff, Getting Together, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-18
Updated: 2016-12-18
Packaged: 2018-09-09 16:17:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8899030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheCityLightShow/pseuds/TheCityLightShow
Summary: The first-time Bucky is introduced to Jarvis, he doesn't jump, or freeze, or freak out. He frowns and then he smiles . “Thank you, Mr Jarvis.” his voice is barely a whisper in reply, and Steve can't help the tiny laugh.He regrets it instantly, because the smile is gone and that little glimpse of his Bucky is gone in an instant as Steve hurries to explain. “Jarvis is Tony's AI, Buck. Artificial intelligence, built and coded him. He's a robot without a body, I guess.”“That is an apt description, Captain.” The AI confirms.“But he sounds-” Bucky immediately begins to protest, before he catches himself, looking horrified. Steve nods in encouragement and that's enough. “-human.” Bucky finishes, and Steve smiles, shrugs.“Still just an AI.”Bucky frowns, but the elevator reaches the common floor, then, and Bucky steps out without much nudging, one last glance up at the speaker and a hint of a smile at the edge of his lips.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Second prompt for [imaginetonyandbucky](http://imaginetonyandbucky.tumblr.com/) over on tumblr!
> 
> The prompt was: _Prompt time! The whole team + pepper + rhodey takes for granted what Tony can do, so when Bucky starts living with them he's in awe of everything and starts talking to the team like: wow i can't believe he built that suit on a cave! And things like that so the team starts looking with new eyes when they ask for new weapons. [Anon]_

_The first-time Bucky is introduced to Jarvis, he doesn't jump, or freeze, or freak out. He frowns when the crisp British voice welcomes him to the tower, and then he smiles – a small, tiny thing, but it's filled with wonder as he looks up towards the speakers. “Thank you, Mr Jarvis.” his voice is barely a whisper in reply, and Steve can't help the tiny laugh._

_He regrets it instantly, because the smile is gone and that little glimpse of **his** Bucky is gone in an instant as Steve hurries to explain. “Jarvis is Tony's AI, Buck.” Bucky frowns, and Steve continues without making Bucky use words to ask – because he won't, even though he wants to know. “Artificial intelligence, built and coded him. He's a robot without a body, I guess.”_

_“That is an apt description, Captain.” The AI confirms._

_“But he sounds-” Bucky immediately begins to protest, before he catches himself, looking horrified. Steve nods in encouragement, his heart breaking a little, but Sam- and Natasha and Tony and Bruce and even **Clint** \- have all lectured him on patience and sense of self and PTSD and so many different things that Steve gets half the terms mixed up, but he can't forget that this isn't Bucky. Not truly, not yet, maybe not ever. Steve can live with that. Just his face, that's enough. “-human.” Bucky finishes, and Steve smiles, shrugs._

_“Still just an AI.”_

_Bucky frowns, but the elevator reaches the common floor, then, and Bucky steps out without much nudging, one last glance up at the speaker and a hint of a smile at the edge of his lips._

 

-

 

If Bucky had thought Jarvis was amazing, it was nothing compared to what he thought of the man behind the AI. Stepping into the workshop for the first time he was, for want of a better term, star struck.

The workshop might've been a mess, but to Bucky it was everything he'd thought the future _should_ be, not the shitty hand he'd been dealt. There were screens lit up in a blue and _robots,_ and one had taken to happily following Bucky around whenever he came down – which was often. The workshop was loud and chaotic and so full of life that Tony put into everything he built, that Bucky found it comforting. He was happy to watch, and Tony didn't object to his presence – even with all that Bucky had been made to do, Tony seemed happy to have him there.

Today – weeks now since his quiet admiration had begun – he was finally letting Tony work on the arm, with the cute bot, Butterfingers, perched at his other elbow. Tony was talking him through everything he was doing, and kept asking Jarvis to note things down, all improvements that could be made.

“You sure like your robotics, huh?” Bucky asked when Tony lapsed into silence for a moment. Tony glanced up to give Bucky a bright grin, before going back to his fiddling.

“Robotics was my first love.” He replied. “I was good at it, so it stuck.” Bucky nodded even though Tony couldn't see, but didn't reply. Tony wasn't merely _good_ at robotics, and the way he'd said it made it sound like he wasn't good at anything else – and that was seriously not the case, but Bucky had no idea how to say it.

Once Tony had sealed up the plates on the arm – and it barely whirred when Bucky moved it now, the absence of the grating sound something he'd never experienced – Tony had whirled on his spinny chair and leapt up, beckoning for Bucky to follow him. He lead Bucky to the back of the workshop where the bots had their charging stations and the various Iron Man armours were stored.

“This is what robotics can do, James.” Tony told him, and Bucky smiled when Tony called him James. “If it's something I can do, I'll do it.” Bucky tentatively reached out to brush the tips of his flesh fingers against the latest iteration of the Iron Man armour, and when Tony didn't stop him, he laid a palm against it, feeling it warm under his skin.

“It's brilliant, Anthony.” Bucky told him, and Tony groaned at the use of his full name and muttered that he should've seen it coming, but didn't comment as he moved to Dum-E's charging station. “I- in, the news. Never said you built it in a cave.”

“That was only the mark one, Jim-Jam.” Tony told him with a smile that Bucky returned half as small but just as warm.

“Still... you didn't have Jarvis, or your screens. Just you.” Tony didn't look up from where he was tinkering with Dum-E's charging station, but Bucky caught the hesitance to his smile. “Did you even have a calculator?”

“Why would I need a calculator?” Tony asked, blinking hard.

“Why would you- Jesus, doll,” and Bucky _laughed_. “You're worse than Stevie.” he muttered.

“I use Jarvis for maths, but I can do it by hand, when I have to.” Tony told him, suddenly serious, and Bucky seemed to fight with himself, before he tentatively reached out with his flesh hand to grip Tony's shoulder. He didn't say anything, and when Tony changed the subject back to the ridiculous upgrades he could (and, let’s be honest, probably would) put in the arm, Bucky didn't fight it.

Bucky realised, then, that Tony didn't know how to take a compliment.

 

-

 

So he kept trying.

 

-

 

“How'd you get that arrow to support his weight?!” Bucky demanded of Tony the second he traipsed onto the common floor, no small amount of awe in his voice. He gestured at the TV with his flesh hand, where he'd been watching Jarvis's surveillance of the battle – admiring how gracefully Tony adapted to having Sam as opposed to Thor for aerial support.

“Huh?” Tony asked, not quite catching Bucky’s question.

“Literally no one else could've designed that – I asked Jarvis – and it's- the mechanics of it is ridiculous!” Bucky then gestured to the plans that Jarvis had helpfully brought up on Bucky’s StarkPad. Tony just shrugged a shoulder, and muttered something about trial and error and guessing as he accepted a mug of coffee from Steve. He didn’t stay on the floor for long – Bucky himself could list several things he knew the genius would want to tweak – and once he’d gone, Bucky put the tablet in front of Banner. “Can you explain this to me?” he asked, and Banner quirked a smile as he shook his head.

“I’d have to understand it first.” Banner replied, more than a little wistful.

 

-

 

“Oh my god this is like having a second skin.” Bucky groaned as he twisted and stretched to test out the new armoured uniform that Tony had just presented him with – a gift as Bucky joined them on his first mission since Shield’s psychologists had cleared him for duty.

“I know, right?” Tony was grinning, blatantly watching as Bucky practically writhed in his new uniform.

“How do you even get this so smooth? And it's still got the aesthetic without being like a damn furnace.” Bucky grinned at him – they were a similar height in the armour – as Tony snorted and rolled his eyes.

“Aesthetic? What are you, a hipster-” he began, but Bucky wasn’t going to get side-tracked, even by the leather he hadn’t realised he’d missed.

“Seriously this is- this is seamless, doll.” Bucky interrupted, and Tony- was he _blushing_?

“I picked up a few things from a high society friend, it's no big deal.” Tony waved him off and ducked his head.

“But-” _it **is**_ **,** Bucky wanted to protest.

“Tony, can you take over?” Clint called from the pilot's seat, and Tony flashed Bucky a smile before heading over. Bucky glared at the back of Clint’s head, but waved off Steve’s confused gaze. It was just- irritating. No one seemed to see how much Tony did, and even less thanked him for it.

 

-

 

“Hey, who made me toast?” Bucky asked, wandering into the kitchen and seeing the toaster was already occupied. It had to be for him, because he was the only person in the tower who like his toast just this side of crucified.

“The toaster?” Barton replied through a mouthful of lucky charms.

“Very funny, Barton.”

“No, seriously, the toaster does just make toast. Steve put it in before his run and told it that it was for you.”

“… the toaster remembers how I like my toast?”

“Should remember everyone’s.” Barton grumbled, and Bucky raised an eyebrow at him, but it was Natalia leant in the doorway who answered him.

“It only remembers for the people Tony likes. He put the setting in last time he was sleep deprived, and now Clint doesn’t get toast.” Bucky laughed, and grinned at the toaster.

“That’s amazing!” he patted the toaster and picked out his toast, missing the knowing smile on Natalia’s face as Clint grumbled more about picky toasters.

 

-

 

“Jesus Tony, no wonder…” Bucky murmured. He’d come down to the lab to see if Tony wanted to join movie night, and found the genius slumped over asleep on the desk. When asked, Jarvis had informed him almost _sadly_ that Tony had been awake for 64 hours before he’d fallen asleep. Bucky was staring at the blue screens still up, and had yet to notice he was carding his metal fingers gently through Tony’s hair.

There were over twenty projects open, from what Bucky could see – 3 separate upgrades to the hellicarrier, new weapons and armour for various members of the team, and then both new projects for SI and several things that Bucky assumed he was correcting for R&D. There was also a to-do list open, which Bucky found was just depressingly long – he was going to have words with Fury about being a dick next time he saw the eye-patched bastard, and he respected Miss Potts, he really did but-

“He’s over-worked, ain’t he Jarvis?” Bucky asked quietly, looking down at the frown line Tony had even in his sleep.

“Over-worked?” The question came quietly from the doorway, and Bucky turned to find the aforementioned Miss Potts stood there. She’d obviously just come from SI for the day, and had a large stack of folders in her arms. Bucky nodded but didn’t say anything – he simply gestured to the to-do list as Pepper came to stand on Tony’s other side. She let out a dismayed little gasp at the sight of it. “That’s too much! I had no idea…” she whispered, and had the decency to look ashamed.

“I’m gonna talk to him about not taking so much on,” Bucky told her, “but maybe you shouldn’t pile so much on him, Ma’am.” Pepper shook her head in a tiny laugh.

“You’re as bad as Steve… Call me Pepper.” She told him, and Bucky corrected himself.

“Pepper. Can you?”

“I’ll talk to Tony about having someone take on his R&D work. That should lessen his work load.” She glared at the list. “Am I threatening Fury, or would you like that pleasure?” she asked, and Bucky had to hide his surprise. She smiled at him, and glanced down at where he was still playing with Tony’s hair.

“I’d be happy to.” He told her, and she nodded. She put down the files, and Bucky watched her write out a note saying that they weren’t urgent with a smile. She left with a smile in Bucky’s direction, and at the door turned.

“I’m glad you see him.”

Bucky carried the genius up to his own bed once she’d gone, and tried not to think too hard about how many people didn’t see him.

 

-

 

“Bucky, you don't have to test everything he asks you to, you know?” Steve told him as he was getting up – Tony had literally bounded onto the common floor, demanded Bucky’s immediate assistance, and left again with the same manic energy that Bucky could find himself addicted to.

“I know that,” Bucky snapped, flicking the blond on the back of the head. “but considerin' I'm volunteering I'm more than happy. This is the start of the future and he's _letting me touch it_.” Steve looked dubious. “Stevie, the stuff he builds is just... astounding, and you _know_ SHIELD could never be trusted to build it or test it. S'why he lets me join in.” Bucky's face split into a boyish grin, he knew, but Tony _trusted_ him. Steve’s face softened, and then split into a shit-eating grin.

“He-“

“Aw hell no, punk! We’re not talking about this! This isn’t- isn’t me, this is you fuckers being blind!” Steve just laughed at him, and Bucky could feel the traitorous blush on his cheeks. Sure he _liked_ the genius, but this wasn’t that – but Steve wasn’t going to relent anytime soon, the stubborn ass, so Bucky threw his hands up in defeat and asked Jarvis to take him to Tony as he stepped into the elevator.

 

-

 

“You really seem... fascinated by Tony's work, Bucky.” Banner didn't give the statement as a question, and it took Bucky a moment to tear his eyes from the screen, where Tony, still battered and bruised from the clusterfuck of a battle a week ago, and now sleep-deprived once again on top of it, was presenting SI's – _his_ – latest innovation to the public.

“Don't you think it's weird?” Bucky asked slowly, thinking that of anyone gathered in the room, Banner would understand it. “No one can do what he does. Someone else did it, they'd be praised, awarded eagerly, even worshipped – but he does it, and people go “Oh it's Tony, he does that” and drag him through the mud at the slightest imperfection.” Bucky bowed his head at Banner's shocked gaze. “He's no less of a genius just because he is one all the time...” he muttered.

“I never thought of it that way.” Clint spoke, hastily swallowing a mouthful of pizza when Natalia glared at him.

“Yeah, well, maybe you should've.” Bucky snapped at him.

“ _Bucky-_ ” Steve reproached, but Natalia cut him off.

“He's right. Tony's our friend, but… have we ever thanked him, really thanked, for what he builds for us?” Steve thought for a moment, before looking horror stricken, and even Banner looked sheepish.

“We messed up.” _Damn right you did._

 

-

 

“Hey Tony?”

The team were gathered in the kitchen for breakfast – by some miracle Tony was getting up instead of going to bed – and Bucky raised an eyebrow at Clint. Clint stuck his tongue out in return and waited for Tony to down the mug of coffee the machine gave him and look up. “Yeah, Hawkass?” Tony asked – though it was more of a mumble, and Bucky set the coffee machine off again.

“If- you have time- can I have some more electric shock arrows?” he asked, surprisingly polite, and Bucky couldn’t help but beam, even as Clint looked more and more uncomfortable for every second Tony just gaped at him. Bucky carefully nudged Tony as he reached over to pick up the new batch of coffee, filling Tony’s mug before filling his own and Tony blinked back to himself.

“Uh- sure?” Tony seemed to run it over in his head. “I can do them now.”

“You’ve got stuff to do, don’t shove it aside- just- if you get chance?” and one look at Natalia and Steve showed Bucky that he wasn’t the only one holding back laughter. Tony nodded, glanced down to check his mug was still full, and then shuffled tiredly off to the workshop, looking whole worlds of confused.

 

-

 

“Okay, what gives Barnes?” Tony demanded the next time Bucky came down to the workshop. Bucky froze, not sure to what Tony was referring. The genius didn’t sound mad, but he hadn’t called him Barnes since that first week at the Tower until Tony had blurted out that he didn’t blame Bucky.

“I’m, sorry?” he tried, and Tony just levelled him with a glare.

“You spend weeks randomly being nice to me, which is just _odd_ and now even Hawkass is being polite about my tech? What kind of- of- joke is this?” Bucky frowned, and tried not to let the accusation hurt. He set the plate of sandwiches he’d brought with him down, and gave Tony his full attention.

“Why do you think it’s a joke?”

“Because- because people don’t care what I do or how I do it. People just don’t!”

“Well I think people should.”

“ _Why?”_

“You’re no less of a genius just because you are one all the time. You build things no one else on Earth could build and you’ve created minds, doll.  Even if the toaster is a dick to Clint.”

“I didn’t even program that-!” Tony began to protest. Bucky growled in frustration and cut Tony off the first way that came to mind.

He kissed him.

Bucky was about to panic and pull back when Tony began to kiss him back, hands resting on Bucky's wrists where Bucky was cupping Tony's face. Eventually they broke apart, and Tony didn’t say a word, brown eyes studying Bucky's face for- something.

“Oh.” Tony eventually muttered, swallowing hard before smiling and kissing Bucky again, a quick press of lips. “I- seriously?” he asked, and Bucky grinned.

“I think you're real swell, doll.” Tony groaned, but this time there was no hesitance when Tony leant forward to kiss him. “Even if you can be an idiot.”

**Author's Note:**

> If you want to give me a prompt, send me an ask at my **[tumblr](http://thecitylightshow.tumblr.com/)** , and I'll get to it soon! And of course, please check out the blog, [imaginetonyandbucky](http://imaginetonyandbucky.tumblr.com/), there's some absolutely beautiful pieces of work over there that deserve everyone's support!


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